


Sideline Reunion

by karasunova



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29823702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karasunova/pseuds/karasunova
Summary: Hermione's conversations with Dean were few and far between, but whenever they did talk it left lasting effects.ORHow one conversation with Dean had changed the way Hermione approached potential partners.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Dean Thomas
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Sideline Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Hermione's Haven Bingo 2021  
> Square: O4 - Dean Thomas

_Hermione was so happy that Harry had finally made his move. She was honestly so tired of seeing him moon over Ginny. She couldn’t help laughing over Ron’s constant consternation, but seeing Harry and Ginny so happy together lifted her spirits greatly._

_Because her friends were so happy, she didn’t take into consideration how other people may be feeling – particularly Ginny’s ex-boyfriend, Dean._

_She rarely found him alone. He was either with Seamus or Neville and until recently Ginny. He definitely didn’t look his usual cheerful self as he sat alone in the alcove in the Astronomy Tower courtyard._

_She briefly debated whether or not she should sneak away or talk to him. He quickly looked up, meeting her eye, before dropping his gaze. That answered her question._

_She walked slowly toward the alcove, her feet making soft sounds against the stone ground. “Hey,” she said softly._

_Dean’s elbows were digging into the top of his thighs. “Hey, Hermione,” he said, his voice ruff from disuse._

“ _Are you okay?” She stood beside a pillar._

_He shrugged. “Not really. I mean would you be okay if your ex-girlfriend got together with someone else less than a month after you two broke up?”_

_Hermione bit her lip and leaned against the stone. “No, I suppose not.”_

_He turned, looking at her with consideration._

_She held her hands up. “I won’t be saying anything to anyone else if you don’t want me to. I’m not like that.”_

_He sighed. “I know you’re not.” He straightened his legs out and she was suddenly reminded of how tall he actually was._

“ _I’m not mad,” he said. “It was obvious Ginny and I were not working out. I guess I’m just disappointed. Sad? I don’t know. How is it that we couldn’t work, but it’s going well so far for her and Harry?”_

_Hermione finally slumped onto the same stone Dean was sitting on. She dropped her book bag at her feet. “I don’t know what to say.”_

_He glared at the ground. “You don’t have to say anything.”_

_She scuffed her foot against the ground. “I know I would be upset too.”_

“ _Well, you did glare and ignore Ron.”_

_She huffed. “Ron and I aren’t technically -” she cut herself off, heat pooling in her cheeks. She looked over at Dean and frowned. His brows were raised and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth._

“ _You can be a little too obvious sometimes. Why haven’t you two gotten together yet?”_

_She shrugged. “He hasn’t really approached me about it. Or asked me on a date.”_

“ _What’s stopping you?”_

“ _Me?” She squeaked._

_Dean straightened up and turned to face her, propping his leg up on the stone in the process. “Yeah. A bloke appreciates the attention every now and then.”_

“ _I’ll take your word for it.” Her face felt warm. She’d never had such a candid conversation with Dean before._

“ _Thanks for putting up with me, Hermione.”_

“ _Huh? I haven’t even done anything.”_

_He smiled and suddenly she was blushing for another reason, one she didn’t really understand._

“ _You did enough,” he said simply._

* * *

Hermione had run from and chased Death Eaters. She faced death in the face. She stood her ground in the bowels of bureaucratic nonsense. Yet, reasoning with a four-year-old was a trial in itself.

“Teddy!”

Little Teddy Lupin had ducked into his toy tent, huddling over his stuffed dinosaur. “No, Mai!”

“Don’t you want to go to football? All your friends will be there.”

Teddy peered at her from the tent opening. “Coach Thomas?”

“I’m sure Coach Thomas will be there too?” She held up his trainers. “Now, let's get your shoes on so we can go.”

Teddy crawled out of his tent and plopped onto his bottom with his legs straight out so Hermione could get his shoes on.

For the spring, Andromeda had signed Teddy up for a children’s football class. Every Saturday for the next four weeks (Teddy had already attended twice), the kids were taught football essentials, drills, and played in unofficial games. It was really a chance for them to expend energy and meet some other children.

Andromeda chose this particular class because it was curated for magical children, whether they were muggle-born, half-bloods, or pure-blood. The child or one of their parents had to be magical.

Harry usually took Teddy to his Saturday morning football class, but he was currently out of town with Ginny so the responsibility fell to Hermione.

Trainers on, Teddy rushed to his feet and grabbed his backpack, stuffing his dinosaur inside. He zipped it up, leaving it’s long neck sticking out from the top. “I’m ready.”

“Great. Let’s head out, okay?”

Teddy slipped his hand into hers. “Can we get McDonald’s after?”

She bit her lip, carefully leading him down the stairs and out the front door. “I’m not sure. Maybe.”

He began to stomp beside her. “I want McDonald’s!”

Hermione sighed for probably the 100th time that day. It was going to be a long day.

###

When they arrived at the field, Teddy had thrown his backpack at Hermione and ran toward the children gathering up at the sideline.

“Sweet Jesus,” Hermione groaned, leaning over to pick up the backpack.

“You sound way too worn out for someone your age,” a humor-filled voice sounded off behind her.

Hermione jumped. She looked over her shoulder and smiled, recognizing her coworker’s wife. “Mrs. Castle. It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too, Hermione. What brings you by? You don’t have a child I’m not aware of, do you?”

Hermione waved her hand in front of her. “Oh no, I’m here with Teddy. I have babysitting duties today.”

“Teddy, yes. I’ve seen him here with Auror Potter.”

Hermione walked beside Mrs. Castle. “I see the twins are here.”

“Yes,” Mrs. Castle said with a sigh. “It gives them a chance to use up all that built-up energy. They can get so restless during the week. We can’t visit the park as often as we’d like. Besides, they like this class with Coach Thomas.”

Hermione wondered what kind of person this Coach Thomas was. Teddy had babbled on about them in the car.

They finally made it to the small stands beside the field. She finally got a good look at Coach Thomas and gasped. “Dean?”

Striking brown eyes met hers. A slow smile came to his face. “Hermione,” he greeted happily. “Good to see you.” He briefly looked over the gaggle of children around him. He looked between them and the clipboard in his hand. “Oh. Is one of them yours?”

She blinked rapidly. It was taking her a moment to connect her former classmate, a boy who had been tall and lithe, to the figure of a young man before her, broad shoulders and strength. “Sort of. I’m here with -”

“Mai!” Teddy pushed his way past the other kids and wrapped his arms around her legs. “That’s Coach Thomas.”

Hermione threaded her fingers through his mousy brown hair. “Yes, Coach Thomas.” She met Dean’s eye. “Nice to _meet_ you.”

He smiled. “Nice to _meet_ you as well.” He turned to the kids gathered before him. “Now that everyone is here, let’s get lined up and start some drills.”

Hermione joined Mrs. Castle in the stands. She set Teddy’s backpack at her feet and watched as the football class finally started.

Teddy ran back and forth, racing against the other kids or kicking a ball back and forth in the small section of the field that was marked off by little cones.

“He’s really good with them,” Mrs. Castle said suddenly.

Hermione sat up. “Dean?”

Mrs. Castle nodded. “With the kids. The twins adore him. How do you know him?”

Hermione turned her attention back to the field. “We went to school together,” she answered. Dean had instructed the kids to run to a cone and kick the football back to the starting line.

“Of course. Should have known.”

Before she knew it, the forty-five-minute class was over (and forty-five minutes of her admiring Dean). Some of the kids were pouting and whining toward their parent or guardian. With Teddy’s backpack over one shoulder, she carefully made her way down the stands, saying goodbye to Mrs. Castle once they were on the ground.

Teddy had been chasing a blonde-haired friend back and forth and when he spotted her, he bolted in her direction, crashing into her legs. “Can we get McDonald’s now?”

She handed Teddy his backpack. “I’ll have to double-check with grandma, okay?”

He began to pout. “Mai.” He squeezed his backpack to his chest. He gasped suddenly. “Where’s Nala?”

Her gaze fell to his backpack. His long-necked dinosaur was clearly missing. How could she have missed something like that?

It felt like she was watching his breakdown in slow motion. He openly gaped at his backpack as tears slowly formed in his eyes.

She knelt down before him. “Teddy?”

He covered his face with his little hands and wailed.

She grimaced and she immediately felt the eyes of the other parents and guardians on her. Well, wasn’t this slightly embarrassing.

“Teddy, we can find Nala. We just have to retrace our steps, okay?”

He sniffled loudly, giving her a peek between his fingers.

Someone neared them. She could hear the grass crunch beneath their feet. She turned and found Dean watching them cautiously.

“Is everything alright?”

“Nala is gone!” Teddy cried.

Dean looked toward Hermione, confusion evident.

“Nala, Teddy’s long-neck dinosaur came to the field with us today and now they’re gone.”

He nodded in understanding. “I see. I can help you find them if you’d like.”

“That’s alright, Dean. I’m sure you’re busy.”

“Yes, please!”

Dean chuckled under his breath. “I have a little bit of time before the next group gets here. Let’s go look?”

The trio walked to Hermione’s car and back, along the sidelines, and to the stands with no sign of Nala.

Teddy was becoming increasingly despondent. He had settled on burying his face into her thigh.

“You two wait here.” Dean stepped away and under the stands that she had sat on. Moments later, he returned, Nala in tow.

Hermione ran her fingers through Teddy’s hair. “Teddy, look.”

He shifted, rubbing his tears and snot on her pant leg as a result. He spotted Nala and squealed. He ran to Dean, snatching his dinosaur right out of his hands.

She was ready to scold him but relented. He was much too distracted and relieved. Besides, the expression on Dean’s face left her slightly discombobulated.

“Thank you,” she told him.

“It’s nothing.”

“I have to repay you somehow,” she teased.

“Hermione, you don’t have to.” But he smiled anyway.

“Well, if not to thank you, how about I just take you out for coffee? To catch up?”

He took a step closer. “Coffee sounds great.”


End file.
